Fast Weight Loss

Variables That Contribute to Fast Weight Loss

Before you embark on a diet plan, you should understand that the concept of fast weight loss can be very relative. A friend of yours may have shed the fat just three weeks after she started on her diet. This same phenomenon may or may not occur in your case. Several variables should be considered before you start expecting miracles. Your ability to lose weight is dependent on…

Intake of Calories

Calorie intake is just another term for the food types that you consume on a daily basis. All diet plans are built around the principle that fast weight loss would occur if you consume less calories and burn more. At the very least, you should be able to balance the amount of calories you consume and the amount that you burn. If you tend to overeat during the weekends, you should be prepared to spend the weekdays exercising and dieting to make your calorie count balance. Your goal is to create a calorie deficit in your body so that your body will use the reserve calories stored in the form of fat.

Physical Age

Age is just a number to many people, but there’s no getting around the fact that as you get older, your metabolism tends to slow down. This is especially true for those who were never physically active in the first place. Sometimes, age is the main factor affecting weight loss. A younger person who exercises as hard as you do may lose weight faster even if you eat less than he does. Decreasing muscle mass may also be an effect of advancing age. Hormonal changes may also contribute to your capacity to work out longer.

Exercise Frequency

Besides the food you eat, the frequency of rigorous physical activity plays an important part in fast weight loss. By exercising more often, you can force your body to burn more calories than normal. Provided you don’t increase your eating frequency, you can easily increase your potential to lose weight just by intensifying physical activity or exercising more often than you usually do. If you can’t go to the gym every day, make up for it by walking to work, jogging to the store, taking the bike instead of the car when you need to do errands, etc.

Your Body Type

Big boned individuals need more calories to function normally. It follows that they would be able to lose more weight than shorter individuals because there are more fats to burn. If your body is slim or lean to begin with, don’t expect to lose as much weight as someone who started the diet program you’re on with a lot of fat and muscle.

Gender Factors

Men naturally burn calories faster than women. This is purely physiological. Men tend to develop more muscles and have a lower quantity of body fat.

Use of Medication

Some types of prescription medications can contribute to weight gain. In particular, insulin and corticosteroids, as well as calcium channel blockers could completely affect your ability to lose weight. If you’re on medication, you can still lose weight fast, but expect to lose weight at a slower rate compared to someone who isn’t taking prescription medication.